Showing posts with label China. Show all posts
Showing posts with label China. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

The Asian Translations

I talked about why one shouldn't translate to another language while not using a native speaker of that language. Maybe you remember the story where a Chinese restaurant displayed their name as "Object not found"? Well, how about another translation:



So while scientists in the western world has worked so hard to perfect making artificial beef, Chinese scientist has bypass the cow and went straight for the fowl. They now have perfected the art of making artificial duck meat.

And lets not even start talking about the picture... it's, almost... PERFECT. Of course, like every other food packaging, the picture is grossly over Photoshopped and the actual thing is much less delightful than that (I forgot to take a picture of the actual thing... how could I forget!?). 

-runiteking1

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Saturday, August 2, 2008

One step forward, or two steps backwards?

These days, whenever I hear anything in the news mentioning China, I shudder.

What happened?

Growth? Evolution? Progress?

Chinese "Fashion Police" are now cracking down on citizens for the Beijing Olympics.
Pamphlets are being handed out to over 4 million households on how to behave, how dress, and even how to eat.
To name a few..

- Avoid white socks with black shoes
- Avoid leather skirts
- Avoid PDA
- Avoid garlic
- Avoid embarrassing disputes over dinner bills in public
- Wear darker stockings if you're a woman with thick ankles
- Match skirt to age (lol)
- No more than three colors in outfit
- Comb hair appropriate for age
- No PJ's in public
- No rolling up trousers
- No going out in public without a shirt on (For the men, obviously)
- Avoid horizontal strips if fat
- Clothes should not be too small
- No spitting in public
- Wait in lines
- Don't ask foreigners anything personal
- Handshakes should last 3 seconds

Here's a link to a news article if you want a more detailed story.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/07/31/asia/AS-OLY-China-Etiquette.php

This disgusts me

In many, many ways.

1) China is trying to turn everyone into clones? Where's the individuality going? (I obviously don't approve of Communism)
2) China is trying a last minute effort to clean up what should have been fixed a long time ago?
3) China is trying to become more modern and American? (Which is fine, but to do it in such a way as to sacrifice your pride?)

But I guess it is also good that they're trying to "look good" to the foreigners. China was pretty disgusting the last time I went there, but this... if they're trying to make a good impression on foreigners, don't you think that this is more cause for scorn than admiration?

This makes me laugh.

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